"You are my daughter! Do you really believe I would leave you here to rot forever? This is meant as a lesson Kitana! I have erased entire families for lesser betrayals than what you have committed!" Kitana heard her father's rage from behind her cage. They were standing in the torture tower. Mileena was also with them. She stood by her father, and was pretending to look sorrowful about the whole situation, but Kitana had known that she was the reason she was caught. She always felt Mileena's jealous eyes on her, watching her every move. She was mistaken to think that her sister wouldn't have seen her enter the tower to free Reptile.
"The Zateryn is not good for you. He will slow you down, and use your kindness to his advantage. You have sheltered him long enough, and I have foolishly allowed it to happen, and for that I apologise. I will let you leave this cell as long as there are no more talks about the Reptile's fate." Shao Kahn promised. Kitana hated his determination. It drove him to lengths that made him appear mad, and overprotective.
"He has done nothing wrong father!" Kitana insisted. Mileena gave a sign as if she was annoyed.
"She still doesn't get it father. We should leave her here a few days more, and continue to allow her to contemplate her decision." Mileena spoke as she picked at her finger nails.
"Mileena." Shao Kahn gritted his teeth. Upon seeing her father's reaction she straightened up attentively.
"Father, he failed to win a fight in the tournament, but Outworld did win the tournament. He did not bring upon our defeat, and if anyone is to blame for his loss it's me. I was the one who trained him. I may have sent him before he was fully ready to master the skills it takes to be victorious!" Kitana protested. Kitana watched her father take in her words, but he was still being as stubborn as ever. Kitana was beginning to feel like there was no winning this argument, and that she could never change her father's mind. He still saw her as a child, who didn't know what she was saying.
"You cannot cover for his mistakes. That is how he uses you. His defeat is only his own doing, and he dishonored my name by proving useless on Shang Tsung's Island. At least Baraka had enough honor for his emperor to die in his defeat." Said Kahn. Kitana was disgusted by her father's statement.
"Why is death the response to his defeat? Rumors say you've exiled Shang Tsung, why not at least offer that to Reptile? He's already vanished! All you would have to do is call off the search for him, and the entire problem would be resolved!" Kitana pleaded. Shao Kahn watched her carefully.
"I exiled Shang Tsung, the man who made it possible for me to invade Earthrealm. The winner of the Mortal Kombat tournament. If I would dare to exile the one who brought me victory, what do you think I would have done to a defeated deserter?" He retorted calmly. Kitana was appalled. It was after hearing this that she saw how mad her father truly was.
"You say I am your daughter, and you would do anything for me. Why can you not do this for me? Why not do me this one favor? Why must you break my heart?" Kitana asked with her head down. Her voice weak.
"My duty as your father is to keep you from harm, and to protect you. I am doing that Kitana. You are just failing to see my reasoning. I am only doing this out of love for you. Mileena, and I both." He explained softly as he caught sight of her sorrow.
"I know you don't fully understand, and for that I forgive you. To show that I care for you I will even allow you to attain the status of heir to my throne, but only if you forget about this creature." Shao Kahn promised as he moved closer to Kitana's cell. He stuck his hand through her bars, and grabbed her by her chin. He lifted her head back gently so that their eyes met. Kitana saw the glowing, demon eyes staring back at her. If she hadn't seen them her whole life she may have actually been quite terrified.
Shao Kahn's promise to Kitana had made Mileena cry out in protest.
"Father she is a traitor to your rule! She is not worthy of being your heir! Allow me to take my rightful place as your successor! She may serve under me in my rule, and I'll promise to treat my sister well!" Mileena called out from behind them. Kitana's eyes darted towards her, and Shao Kahn turned slowly to look back at her. He face was red with anger.
"Out!" He shouted bitterly. Mileena was shocked by her father's rage, and quickly pointed her head to the ground to hide her face. Without hesitation she stormed from the torture tower. Her footsteps echoing in the hall. After she had left Shao Kahn turned back to Kitana.
"Consider what I've said here today daughter. I will be back tomorrow to hear your answer. If you continue to support Reptile then by the Elder Gods I swear that I will make Mileena my heir, and have you serve under her." He warned as he backed away from her cell.
"I love you." He whispered, and when he didn't hear Kitana reciprocate he hesitated before turning away, and leaving her alone. Kitana sat there quietly thinking to herself. She had to make a choice. She could continue to stand by Reptile's side, and lose everything she ever wanted. She could lose her opportunity to change Outworld for the greater good, lose her vision for her realm that she so badly wanted to see changed into a peaceful home world, or she could take her father's offer. Rejoin his courts, and continue towards her dreams, but in return lose the main friend she promised to change the world for. Lose the only person who had been by her side her entire life. Reptile had been more of a sibling to her than even her own twin sister had ever been.
Kitana sat there thinking hard about what her decision would be, but her wave of thought was interrupted when she heard a rattle from the other side of her cage. Nothing was there, and for a second she had thought a ghost was tormenting her. She backed away frightened.
"Quiet Kitana, it's me!" Hushed a rough voice. It had been a while since she last heard it.
"Reptile?" She called out. The invisible voice once again hushed her.
"Careful!" The voice replied.
"What are you doing here? I told you to leave, and never return!" She hissed with anger as the rattling of her cage continued.
"I've come to take you away!" Reptile's voice came softly.
"My father will kill you if he finds you!" She exclaimed as quietly as she could.
"He won't find me! We're leaving Outworld!" Reptile retorted as the lock of Kitana's cage clicked as it became unlocked.
"Leaving Outworld!" She spoke.
"Where would we even go? I am to be Empress!" She explained.
"You still will be." Reptile said as Kitana's cage door slowly opened with a rusty creak.
"This will be high treason! They will kill me!" She explained.
"I've found someone who will put you on the throne much sooner than if you stay here. We need to get to Earthrealm! He's there, and we'll need him!" Reptile explained. Kitana still couldn't believe Reptile had came for her. To free her, and now he's saying he's found someone who was working to put her on the throne. Had Reptile gone mad? Earthrealm was about to be invaded. Destroyed, and merged into Outworld. They had no chance of surviving Shao Kahn.
"Earthrealm is set to be destroyed Reptile! You need to return to the Wasteland! If they haven't found you now they never will!" She spoke.
"I will not spend my whole life in the Wasteland! Your father has become a monster, and nothing we can do will make him see the light! Look at you! He has you locked in a cage only for you to watch as Sheeva's prisoners are mutilated! We need your rule now! Not a thousand years from now!" Reptile explained. Kitana felt very torn on the inside, because she understood Reptile's reasoning. His life was on the line, but Kitana's wasn't. She loved Reptile, but would she really give away everything for him? Would she risk her own life to save his, all just to end her father's reign?
"There has to be another way. Let me continue to reason with my father. He'll see eventually." She answered. Reptile did not like that response.
"Will that be before or after he cuts off my head?" Reptile replied slyly.
"If we don't do this now then I'll just pull a play out of your book. I'm not leaving this torture tower without you. They'll kill me." He said bitterly as he uncloaked himself. He appeared much thinner than when Kitana had last saw him. His few remaining teeth were cracked, and his body was still faintly showing the signs of the torture that Sheeva had inflicted upon him.
"Reptile don't you dare!" Kitana barked silently as she began looking around to make sure nobody could see them.
"It's up to you Kitana." He smirked with a fractured smile.
"You're asking too much!" She snapped.
"This would put a bounty on both of our heads! My father executes traitors!" She warned as silently as she could manage.
"Raiden will protect us! If we aid them in protecting Earthrealm he will place you on the throne!" Reptile explained.
"That would mean the death of my father Reptile! Even if I had the heart to do it, he has millions of supporters who would see me burned at the stake!" Kitana was leaning towards staying put the further this went on. She could never see herself participating in the downfall of her father. Reptile seemed to finally realize that he may have been asking too much of Kitana.
"Then I will do it alone! I'll go to Earthrealm, and defend it. I will end Shao Kahn's rule, and bring your rule into action!" He said pridefully. Kitana was angered greatly. How could he not heed her warnings? He was proposing to take part in a suicide mission.
"Are you mad? Earthrealm is doomed! You will die there!" Kitana protested. Reptile's face became stern as he opened his mouth to speak.
"It's the only chance I have at survival." He whispered aloud.
"I forbid you from going." Kitana expressed boldly. Her words were demanding.
"I only came here to take you with me, but since you have decided to stay I should get going. I'll be back for you Kitana." Reptile finished before cloaking himself once again. Kitana saw him disappear from her sight, and tried to grab at where he had stood through her cell. She swiped the air, and felt nothing.
"Reptile no!" She called out.
"What's that princess?" Came a deep feminine voice from a distance. Kitana turned her head behind her. Sheeva was going to give her a hard time today. She knew it. She turned back around to see that the tower's door had quietly been shut.